Crossing an ocean without sails (but with a budget)
Discussion
December 2022
We were unsure of our plan but knew we wanted to get away from Suva so anchor was up at 6.45am and we were off again. We plodded on for most of the day and pulled into Cuvu harbour around 8 hours later, there are no notes in the log book so there couldn’t have been any fish on the way – I find that hard to believe and think S may have been slacking on the notes.
No point hanging around here without friends so another early start and back round to Musket, the tracks on our chartplotter in and out are like a spiders web we’ve been there so many times.
Sundowners at the Island Bar and talk turned to Xmas plans, there was a seafood buffet at Musket Resort or we could have use of the bbq’s at the bar and do our own thing (away from the resort guests). We were easy either way and said we would make the call closer to the time. My only immediate thought was where to go for the next couple of weeks and did anyone else want to tag along.
A few of us decided to head over to Mana, as mentioned before it’s a lovely spot with very welcoming locals at the bar/backpackers.
We stayed for a week, snorkelling, lounging, etc.(I’m getting very good at doing next to nothing some days ) but then it was time to head in somewhere for provisions, Denarau won the toss and off we went.
We were unsure of our plan but knew we wanted to get away from Suva so anchor was up at 6.45am and we were off again. We plodded on for most of the day and pulled into Cuvu harbour around 8 hours later, there are no notes in the log book so there couldn’t have been any fish on the way – I find that hard to believe and think S may have been slacking on the notes.
No point hanging around here without friends so another early start and back round to Musket, the tracks on our chartplotter in and out are like a spiders web we’ve been there so many times.
Sundowners at the Island Bar and talk turned to Xmas plans, there was a seafood buffet at Musket Resort or we could have use of the bbq’s at the bar and do our own thing (away from the resort guests). We were easy either way and said we would make the call closer to the time. My only immediate thought was where to go for the next couple of weeks and did anyone else want to tag along.
A few of us decided to head over to Mana, as mentioned before it’s a lovely spot with very welcoming locals at the bar/backpackers.
We stayed for a week, snorkelling, lounging, etc.(I’m getting very good at doing next to nothing some days ) but then it was time to head in somewhere for provisions, Denarau won the toss and off we went.
Of course we had a night out in the busy port town, it probably started in the afternoon at Lulu Bar drinking Capiroskas (it normally does).
We bar crawled until we got to Indigo, a very nice Indian restaurant, and were shown to a table overlooking the water.
We were enjoying the bottle of red that had appeared when Sonya said “There’s a woman at the table two behind who looks just like your ex”. As I turned to look I heard her voice asking someone at another table if they would mind taking a pic, I stood and went over, “I could have taken that for you” and held out my hand for her boyfriend/partner/whatever to shake which he did. My ex then shook my hand and I could tell that she had been drinking more than we had – she didn’t know who I was !
I went back to my table with a big smile on my face and Sonya was trying to suppress hers, “How did that go” she asked and I thought she was going to wet herself when I said she hadn’t recognised me. I messaged my kids to tell them I had just bumped into their mother and what a small world it is. My daughter came back with a screen shot of the conversation she was having with her mum. Apparently she was very embarrassed that she hadn’t clicked it was me when I walked over and it was only when I opened my mouth she realised.
Xmas and NY went by in a blur of food and drink. We had put LS on the marina dock at Musket and when it was announced that the Island Bar wouldn’t be opening on NYE as they needed all staff at the resort we decided to be hosts – oh dear. At one point I think there were about 50 people onboard with others on the dock waiting for a gap. Things started to quieten at midnight then about 20 people who were staying at a house on the island turned up, they knew one of the other boaties who had invited them along ! At 4am I staggered through our boat and fell into a crumpled heap next to S. For weeks/months after we were bumping into people who would thank us for a great NYE party, we had no idea who half these people were !
We bar crawled until we got to Indigo, a very nice Indian restaurant, and were shown to a table overlooking the water.
We were enjoying the bottle of red that had appeared when Sonya said “There’s a woman at the table two behind who looks just like your ex”. As I turned to look I heard her voice asking someone at another table if they would mind taking a pic, I stood and went over, “I could have taken that for you” and held out my hand for her boyfriend/partner/whatever to shake which he did. My ex then shook my hand and I could tell that she had been drinking more than we had – she didn’t know who I was !
I went back to my table with a big smile on my face and Sonya was trying to suppress hers, “How did that go” she asked and I thought she was going to wet herself when I said she hadn’t recognised me. I messaged my kids to tell them I had just bumped into their mother and what a small world it is. My daughter came back with a screen shot of the conversation she was having with her mum. Apparently she was very embarrassed that she hadn’t clicked it was me when I walked over and it was only when I opened my mouth she realised.
Xmas and NY went by in a blur of food and drink. We had put LS on the marina dock at Musket and when it was announced that the Island Bar wouldn’t be opening on NYE as they needed all staff at the resort we decided to be hosts – oh dear. At one point I think there were about 50 people onboard with others on the dock waiting for a gap. Things started to quieten at midnight then about 20 people who were staying at a house on the island turned up, they knew one of the other boaties who had invited them along ! At 4am I staggered through our boat and fell into a crumpled heap next to S. For weeks/months after we were bumping into people who would thank us for a great NYE party, we had no idea who half these people were !
I forgot to mention before that I had spoken to Vuda marina some time in early December and organised for LS to be hauled out on Monday 9th January for fibreglass repairs, anti foul and some other bits and pieces. We motored over to Vuda on the Friday before haulout and in the office I got the bad news. The new haulout trailer hadn’t arrived yet so we were being hauled on the old one which I had been told to avoid at all costs (see early pages for pics). I think I detailed it before but I will just confirm that it was bloody frightening to see and hear.
Now I didn’t know anyone that had had any fibreglass repairs done at Vuda so was shopping blind when it came to choosing a contractor for the job. I had the list of approved contractors from the marina and, as luck would have it, the first guy I spoke to had told me they could do all the work and would pencil us in for the whole week. The antifoul was a fixed price per foot for sanding, tidying and two coats of (supplied by us) paint.
Well I thoroughly recommend Prasads General Marine Services who did an outstanding job on all of the works and were very competitive with prices. So much so that I asked Sachin (boss) to give me an idea of the price for a hardtop to replace our shade sail.
He was reluctant at first saying it was quite a lot of work to prepare such a quote. I explained that I just needed a ball park figure for it to see if it would fit in our budget and he could then firm it up and I would be happy to pay for his time to quote if it was looking promising.
It was a great quote and you all know from previous posts/pics that we had it done. The price did increase a little half way through the build but I believe it to be a genuine increase in material and labour time and not just a try on to squeeze some more $$ out of us. Another boat we sometimes hang out with (Moxie, 5 Kiwis Afloat) have just had one done by the same guys after seeing ours and theirs was a similar price but a third of the size ! Admittedly Moxie is a lot flasher than LS so the workmanship/paint had to go up a notch.
Sonya took the opportunity to bugger off to NZ to visit family and do some work while LS was on the hard. Obviously I rib her about never hanging around when there is work to be done but it would be a nightmare both of us being onboard while so much was going on.
Everything went according to plan until we were relaunched, the guy in the water was shouting up that no water was coming through the exhausts so I switched off both motors and pulled up hatches. I got the starboard motor circulating quite quickly just by filling the raw water strainer with tap water which created enough suction/draw to continue.
Starboard just would not run so we launched and were helped into place on the dock with a longboat and 40hp Yamaha ! Sachin came out that afternoon and helped me work through some things, we reseated the new impeller and tried it again (after filling hoses and strainer) – hurrah , plenty of flow now.
Now I didn’t know anyone that had had any fibreglass repairs done at Vuda so was shopping blind when it came to choosing a contractor for the job. I had the list of approved contractors from the marina and, as luck would have it, the first guy I spoke to had told me they could do all the work and would pencil us in for the whole week. The antifoul was a fixed price per foot for sanding, tidying and two coats of (supplied by us) paint.
Well I thoroughly recommend Prasads General Marine Services who did an outstanding job on all of the works and were very competitive with prices. So much so that I asked Sachin (boss) to give me an idea of the price for a hardtop to replace our shade sail.
He was reluctant at first saying it was quite a lot of work to prepare such a quote. I explained that I just needed a ball park figure for it to see if it would fit in our budget and he could then firm it up and I would be happy to pay for his time to quote if it was looking promising.
It was a great quote and you all know from previous posts/pics that we had it done. The price did increase a little half way through the build but I believe it to be a genuine increase in material and labour time and not just a try on to squeeze some more $$ out of us. Another boat we sometimes hang out with (Moxie, 5 Kiwis Afloat) have just had one done by the same guys after seeing ours and theirs was a similar price but a third of the size ! Admittedly Moxie is a lot flasher than LS so the workmanship/paint had to go up a notch.
Sonya took the opportunity to bugger off to NZ to visit family and do some work while LS was on the hard. Obviously I rib her about never hanging around when there is work to be done but it would be a nightmare both of us being onboard while so much was going on.
Everything went according to plan until we were relaunched, the guy in the water was shouting up that no water was coming through the exhausts so I switched off both motors and pulled up hatches. I got the starboard motor circulating quite quickly just by filling the raw water strainer with tap water which created enough suction/draw to continue.
Starboard just would not run so we launched and were helped into place on the dock with a longboat and 40hp Yamaha ! Sachin came out that afternoon and helped me work through some things, we reseated the new impeller and tried it again (after filling hoses and strainer) – hurrah , plenty of flow now.
All I had to do now was pay the bill for haulout/hardstand and wait for S to get back.
Although contractors in Fiji are priced competitively there is, apparently, an unwritten rule that marinas must charge the same or more as their equivalent in NZ or Australia.
I felt violated when I left the Vuda office.
Although contractors in Fiji are priced competitively there is, apparently, an unwritten rule that marinas must charge the same or more as their equivalent in NZ or Australia.
I felt violated when I left the Vuda office.
Our quiet paradise will soon be packed again !
Weather windows are opening up for those waiting in NZ and Oz to head to the islands.
Boats have been gathering at the major departure ports since the end of April and are starting to leave after being clobbered with stormy weather.
Many will be doing the pacific circuit as all countries are open after Covid so thats Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Cal, home by the magical 31 October as you cannot get insurance after that due to cyclone season.
When we get to Tonga towards the end of July there will likely only be some hardcore game fishers and a few who have fallen in love with the place and have decided to leave another country off their schedule this year.
However, our friends on the 65' launch Waikamouri have now confirmed they are coming with us
Weather windows are opening up for those waiting in NZ and Oz to head to the islands.
Boats have been gathering at the major departure ports since the end of April and are starting to leave after being clobbered with stormy weather.
Many will be doing the pacific circuit as all countries are open after Covid so thats Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Cal, home by the magical 31 October as you cannot get insurance after that due to cyclone season.
When we get to Tonga towards the end of July there will likely only be some hardcore game fishers and a few who have fallen in love with the place and have decided to leave another country off their schedule this year.
However, our friends on the 65' launch Waikamouri have now confirmed they are coming with us
Edited by NNK on Wednesday 10th May 20:35
Oh dear, some of the boats that have left NZ in the last couple of days have hit some really bad weather.
Gusts of 60 knots have been recorded !!!
Some friends on a beautiful 60' Benetteau were in the middle of 40+ knot storm when they lost their sutopilot and the boat did a 180 (trying to take them home ??), shortly after that they realised the transom door had fallen down and sea water was trying to wash out their dinghy, outboard, jerry cans, etc, etc.
That would have been a hell of a wake up call as it was noticed at 3am !
Gusts of 60 knots have been recorded !!!
Some friends on a beautiful 60' Benetteau were in the middle of 40+ knot storm when they lost their sutopilot and the boat did a 180 (trying to take them home ??), shortly after that they realised the transom door had fallen down and sea water was trying to wash out their dinghy, outboard, jerry cans, etc, etc.
That would have been a hell of a wake up call as it was noticed at 3am !
Hmmm, maybe windgen not working so well.
I have been monitoring it and its mppt, it spins up in a gust and shows 15-16v on mppt and charge light flashes a couple of times but then seems to brake and waits for next gust.
Googling just brings up (many) comments from people dissatisfied with theirs so .........
We dont need it to do much, a few amps overnight would be nice, but doing nothing is not on.
I do know that the mppt I am using is designed for solar but I dont think that is the problem.
More research required
I have been monitoring it and its mppt, it spins up in a gust and shows 15-16v on mppt and charge light flashes a couple of times but then seems to brake and waits for next gust.
Googling just brings up (many) comments from people dissatisfied with theirs so .........
We dont need it to do much, a few amps overnight would be nice, but doing nothing is not on.
I do know that the mppt I am using is designed for solar but I dont think that is the problem.
More research required
Quite noisy onboard at present, genset is running so we can run watermaker.
We normally make water when motoring but arent planning on moving for a few days and its rather overcast today so solar wont keep on top of power requirements.
Another 2 hours on the genset clock and another 2L of diesel gone !
We normally make water when motoring but arent planning on moving for a few days and its rather overcast today so solar wont keep on top of power requirements.
Another 2 hours on the genset clock and another 2L of diesel gone !
OK, I understand that my power issues make for quite dull reading but ........
It turns out that you cannot run the windgen (Rutland 914i) through another mppt as it has a basic one built in and I cannot piggy back my lovely new lcd display mppt off the Marlec HRSi regulator that came with it.
Soooo, I bodged something together yesterday to test the system and it worked - all required lights coming on as when they should and turbine turning constantly (not getting up to speed then braking).
I spent this morning properly (or as well as my limited electrical abilities allow) wiring the regulator into the system and filed my mppt back in the spares compartment.
Of course today the sun is burning bright and has taken the batteries to a charge state higher than the windgen can go already (11.30am), not that there is any wind.
It turns out that you cannot run the windgen (Rutland 914i) through another mppt as it has a basic one built in and I cannot piggy back my lovely new lcd display mppt off the Marlec HRSi regulator that came with it.
Soooo, I bodged something together yesterday to test the system and it worked - all required lights coming on as when they should and turbine turning constantly (not getting up to speed then braking).
I spent this morning properly (or as well as my limited electrical abilities allow) wiring the regulator into the system and filed my mppt back in the spares compartment.
Of course today the sun is burning bright and has taken the batteries to a charge state higher than the windgen can go already (11.30am), not that there is any wind.
Surprise (or not) we are back at Musket !
Our good friends on REAO (who we towed halfway around Fiji!) are back in the water with a rebuilt engine.
What was supposed to be a 10 day job turned into a 54 day stint on the hardstand !
Lucky they are only a 40' monohull and not a 50' cat as that would be a 10k bill for us just sat there.
Whilst there they antifouled (first time in 6 yrs !!), got some stylish graphics, put in a cutlass bearing on prop shaft (for some reason it did not have one !) and replaced soundproofing/heat protection in engine bay (good job I had a load spare onboard as I think they would have struggled to find in Fiji).
BLINDER has arrived, people we met last year who leave their boat in Fiji each cyclone season (on the hard at Vuda) and fly back to NZ, very into their kite foiling and they have been whizzing around the anchorage.
WAIKAMOURI of course is around and we spent a great afternoon/evening aboard yesterday plotting/planning the Tonga extravaganza that is coming up soon and playing Mexican Train.
We are going to sit here for a few days to catch up with a couple of other boats who left NZ last week, they will check in at Denarau then head over here soon after. HANK may need some mall repairs to their transom door.
Our good friends on REAO (who we towed halfway around Fiji!) are back in the water with a rebuilt engine.
What was supposed to be a 10 day job turned into a 54 day stint on the hardstand !
Lucky they are only a 40' monohull and not a 50' cat as that would be a 10k bill for us just sat there.
Whilst there they antifouled (first time in 6 yrs !!), got some stylish graphics, put in a cutlass bearing on prop shaft (for some reason it did not have one !) and replaced soundproofing/heat protection in engine bay (good job I had a load spare onboard as I think they would have struggled to find in Fiji).
BLINDER has arrived, people we met last year who leave their boat in Fiji each cyclone season (on the hard at Vuda) and fly back to NZ, very into their kite foiling and they have been whizzing around the anchorage.
WAIKAMOURI of course is around and we spent a great afternoon/evening aboard yesterday plotting/planning the Tonga extravaganza that is coming up soon and playing Mexican Train.
We are going to sit here for a few days to catch up with a couple of other boats who left NZ last week, they will check in at Denarau then head over here soon after. HANK may need some mall repairs to their transom door.
With S back onboard, with a 30kg bag of boat goodies, it was time to leave and I couldn’t wait.
We were at the fuel dock when it opened, OK we were there at 8am when its supposed to open but …….. Fiji time means staff arrive sometime between 8 & 9.
All topped up it was time to depart, without any real plan where to go but with that nagging thought that its cyclone season so we had better stay close to where our emergency plan would be.
Talking of our emergency/cyclone plan, there are only a certain amount of places in Fiji (or anywhere) that are considered to be safe havens during a cyclone. Some of these have been tested, some are just thought to be so well protected that they would be ideal.
There are, of course, some paid options but the price of these appears to have increased tremendously over the last few years. We did look at one marina option but to guarantee a place in their cyclone area you have to pay for the whole six month period which , for us, would be approx. $20k.
Yes I realise that’s not a lot of money in the event of it saving your boat from destruction by a cyclone but it is also a big chunk of a full time cruisers budget.
Anyway, we had heard lots about the mangroves at Denarau and, after speaking to the right people, got the full rundown on it. There were people currently working on a plan for this season and we got to speak with them and get on the list.
The people who organise it are cruisers and they don’t get anything out of it, they liase with the chief of the village who owns the river/mangroves and put together a list of the boats registered and approximately where they will be in the line. I think there were 44 boats registered this year to use it, cats going in first because of their shallow draft then the monohulls with the largest, deepest draft boats being the last to enter.
All of this has to be done around high tide and once you are in you hop into your dinghy and go back out to help others.
I may have made that sound a little easier than it is. Once in you motor up to the back of the boat infront, drop anchor and reverse, dropping a stern anchor if you have one. Then its over the side and into the mud & mangroves with lengths of rope to tie around the roots and on to your cleats on both sides, this is why we bought a 250m roll of 18mm rope whilst on the hard. If any of you are interested you can Google Denarau mangroves cyclone and it should bring up some YT vids and drone footage of the area and procedure.
Just as we were pulling out of Vuda we received a msg from a solo sailor Michael (42’ Catalina named Patanjali) saying that he had been thinking about our conversations the night before and that he was coming too but he couldn’t leave until the next day.
He knew we had no real plan but was just bored being sat in the marina over cyc season and needed to get out. We said we would head to Navadra and wait there for him, it wouldn’t be a problem for us if he took a couple of days so said not to hurry.
He must have rushed around getting his boat prepped and provisioned as we spotted him coming into the bay mid afternoon the next day. He tows his dinghy everywhere so it was no problem for him to come over soon after he had anchored, infact for the next month he was over same time every day for dinner and drinks. No point messing up the galley on two boats for only three people.
The next day we up anchored and motored the short distance to Kuata, it looked like a lovely bay and we would be protected from the wind and swell that was due to pick up a little that evening. The three of us dinghied ashore and went for a walk up to the top of the hills, great photo opportunities of our boats and the scenery and we also found out that M rehydrated with beer ! At the summit we had pulled out water bottles, M pulled out cans of Fiji Bitter and handed them out, I had wondered why his backpack looked so heavy.
On the way down we bumped into a local who was checking his crops, we asked if we could buy some and purchased bananas, papaya, aubergine and coconuts. He said he worked at the resort on the other side of the island and came every couple of days to check. We asked about the resort and he said they were happy to see cruisers and that we could use the facilities. The next day we all walked round there and spent a relaxing few hours at the pool, buying beers so we wouldn’t be thought of as abusing their hospitality.
Cant hang around in one spot for too long so up came the anchor again and off we went to the wonderful Paradise Cove where we knew the perfect spot to anchor. Once there we were straight in for a snorkel, some amazing coral and thousands of fish to be seen there. The next day we went ashore and did the scenic walk, a perfectly mowed track with seats along the way and a viewing area for sunsets – a lovely spot.
A few days later we were back at good old Blue Lagoon, for once the only boats there. Late that afternoon we went ashore for sundowners at the bar on the edge of the resort where cruisers were allowed but it was shut. We went into the small shop and asked when it would open and we were told that the whole resort was closed for another week for maintenance. No problem, sundowners would be on LS each day as had become the norm.
We had heard about a small farm nearby that sold its produce to cruisers so we hopped into a dinghy and set off round to the next bay. Unfortunately we hadn’t really thought about tides and when we got there it was low tide which meant we couldn’t get up the estuary where the farm was. We spotted some houses set back from the beach and went over to ask if there was a walking track, one of the women said there was and told her son (who was about 5) to show us. Hmm, not exactly a track, more like a very lightly used but well remembered route through swampy land that was also used as grazing for at least one cow and a horse. About 45 mins later we reached our destination and found the lady who owned the place. Could we buy some produce we asked, looking around and not really seeing anything growing, and we were told that her husband had been very ill and was going blind – the farm had not grown anything for a couple of years. Disappointed we trudged back, when we reached the house of the woman we had asked earlier we explained what we had been told. “Oh yes, they do not grow anything now” was the answer. Thinking back we had merely asked where the farm was, not if it was still a working farm.
It didn’t really matter, we knew we could get some fresh veg at the small store and would only have to wait another few days for the resort to reopen to be able to buy fruit and veg from them. As it happened the next time I went to the store the resort owner was in there and he took my order for fruit and veg to come from his own gardens and the supply boat that was due later that day, he said to come back at 4pm and to come to the resorts main bar for a drink – cool.
At the bar that afternoon he explained that the small bar the cruisers and locals normally used would not be reopening. There had been a few instances of the locals fighting in there and more of the men going home to the village and unleashing on their wives. As westerners we are all exposed to alcohol from an early age and are used to it, islanders much less so and it often reacts badly with them. We have often been told never to give the locals alcohol, especially in remote parts, as they have often never had it before and some get the taste for it pretty quick.
Our daily check on the weather showed that some high winds would be coming through over the next couple of days, from the only direction that we would not be protected by land. We thought about moving but decided not to, both boats trusting their anchors and the fact that we had been there several days already so were well set in. We both let out another 10m of chain and settled in. Michael was onboard LS when the wind suddenly whipped up, about 6 hours earlier than predicted. The lagoon was white capping and our boats started to swing around, he was stuck onboard unless there was a gap. It didn’t let off and now it was 11pm, time for my bed, so I said goodnight and off I went. As I put my head on the pillow it all went quiet outside then about 30 seconds later I heard the scream of a small outboard. Michael had seen the gap and took it, racing the 100m or so back to Patanjali. A good choice as five minutes later it was blowing harder than before, a cruiser is always happier on there own boat and not watching it from another.
The next day the wind had died off completely and things were back to normal. There was another issue though, M was almost out of alcohol which appeared to play a big part in his life (just joking if he’s reading). He did go to the resort and ask if they would sell some boxes of beer, they would but at full resort retail of $10 each, around four times what we pay for a box normally.
That evening I said that we were happy to share ours but weren’t that well stocked as we had been speaking of cutting down our intake, he thanked us but said no and we would leave the next day to head back to the marina.
During his time with us my fishing luck had been not been good, only catching barracuda which we had been giving away to the locals so I couldn’t believe it when only a couple of hours apart (we had gone in opposite directions) I pulled in a yellowfin tuna on each rod. Of course I immediately sent M a pic but neither of us were in cell coverage so he didn’t receive it until a few hours later so was too far away to turn round for dinner.
We anchored at Sawa I Ra at the southern end of Yasawa island and went ashore with our sevusevu, the women at the first house we came to advised that the chief and head man were away but they could receive it and pass it on. We sat with them and chatted, they asked if we had any reading glasses and we said yes and we would bring them over later (we had bought up as many pairs as we could from charity shops in NZ before setting off for this very reason).
Yum, fresh yellowfin sashimi followed by loin roasted on bbq with salad and peppercorn sauce, of course more pics were sent and, of course, more abusive texts were received !
This was a lovely spot and we stayed here for a few days, lots of kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling. I don’t recall going ashore again other than to hand out some pairs of reading glasses so all our exercise was on the water.
Weather checks showed there was some more crap to come so we made the call to head back down the islands. We left the next morning and were only a couple of hours into the trip when conditions got pretty rough, I went out to pull in the fishing lines (it was getting that bad) when one of the lines went. Ten minutes later and there was a nice wahoo hanging out of the 90L chill bin, there was no way I was cutting it up in this !
An hour or so later and we were on the eastern side of the island group so much better protected although there was still a lot of chop. We plodded on for a few more hours until we reached Yalobi bay which we thought would offer us the best protection in the area. It wasn’t too bad for wind but there was quite a swell in there, not too bad for us but it would have been uncomfortable for a mono. They had obviously received a lot of rain over the previous few hours as there were waterfalls cascading down the side of the hills and cliffs.
As usual the next day was sunny, no wind and 32C BUT there was more bad weather predicted, so up came the anchor again (poor windlass) and off we went. No prizes for guessing where we were heading and we were anchored safely at Musket by 3pm that day with another nice wahoo to share with everyone at the Island Bar that evening.
We were at the fuel dock when it opened, OK we were there at 8am when its supposed to open but …….. Fiji time means staff arrive sometime between 8 & 9.
All topped up it was time to depart, without any real plan where to go but with that nagging thought that its cyclone season so we had better stay close to where our emergency plan would be.
Talking of our emergency/cyclone plan, there are only a certain amount of places in Fiji (or anywhere) that are considered to be safe havens during a cyclone. Some of these have been tested, some are just thought to be so well protected that they would be ideal.
There are, of course, some paid options but the price of these appears to have increased tremendously over the last few years. We did look at one marina option but to guarantee a place in their cyclone area you have to pay for the whole six month period which , for us, would be approx. $20k.
Yes I realise that’s not a lot of money in the event of it saving your boat from destruction by a cyclone but it is also a big chunk of a full time cruisers budget.
Anyway, we had heard lots about the mangroves at Denarau and, after speaking to the right people, got the full rundown on it. There were people currently working on a plan for this season and we got to speak with them and get on the list.
The people who organise it are cruisers and they don’t get anything out of it, they liase with the chief of the village who owns the river/mangroves and put together a list of the boats registered and approximately where they will be in the line. I think there were 44 boats registered this year to use it, cats going in first because of their shallow draft then the monohulls with the largest, deepest draft boats being the last to enter.
All of this has to be done around high tide and once you are in you hop into your dinghy and go back out to help others.
I may have made that sound a little easier than it is. Once in you motor up to the back of the boat infront, drop anchor and reverse, dropping a stern anchor if you have one. Then its over the side and into the mud & mangroves with lengths of rope to tie around the roots and on to your cleats on both sides, this is why we bought a 250m roll of 18mm rope whilst on the hard. If any of you are interested you can Google Denarau mangroves cyclone and it should bring up some YT vids and drone footage of the area and procedure.
Just as we were pulling out of Vuda we received a msg from a solo sailor Michael (42’ Catalina named Patanjali) saying that he had been thinking about our conversations the night before and that he was coming too but he couldn’t leave until the next day.
He knew we had no real plan but was just bored being sat in the marina over cyc season and needed to get out. We said we would head to Navadra and wait there for him, it wouldn’t be a problem for us if he took a couple of days so said not to hurry.
He must have rushed around getting his boat prepped and provisioned as we spotted him coming into the bay mid afternoon the next day. He tows his dinghy everywhere so it was no problem for him to come over soon after he had anchored, infact for the next month he was over same time every day for dinner and drinks. No point messing up the galley on two boats for only three people.
The next day we up anchored and motored the short distance to Kuata, it looked like a lovely bay and we would be protected from the wind and swell that was due to pick up a little that evening. The three of us dinghied ashore and went for a walk up to the top of the hills, great photo opportunities of our boats and the scenery and we also found out that M rehydrated with beer ! At the summit we had pulled out water bottles, M pulled out cans of Fiji Bitter and handed them out, I had wondered why his backpack looked so heavy.
On the way down we bumped into a local who was checking his crops, we asked if we could buy some and purchased bananas, papaya, aubergine and coconuts. He said he worked at the resort on the other side of the island and came every couple of days to check. We asked about the resort and he said they were happy to see cruisers and that we could use the facilities. The next day we all walked round there and spent a relaxing few hours at the pool, buying beers so we wouldn’t be thought of as abusing their hospitality.
Cant hang around in one spot for too long so up came the anchor again and off we went to the wonderful Paradise Cove where we knew the perfect spot to anchor. Once there we were straight in for a snorkel, some amazing coral and thousands of fish to be seen there. The next day we went ashore and did the scenic walk, a perfectly mowed track with seats along the way and a viewing area for sunsets – a lovely spot.
A few days later we were back at good old Blue Lagoon, for once the only boats there. Late that afternoon we went ashore for sundowners at the bar on the edge of the resort where cruisers were allowed but it was shut. We went into the small shop and asked when it would open and we were told that the whole resort was closed for another week for maintenance. No problem, sundowners would be on LS each day as had become the norm.
We had heard about a small farm nearby that sold its produce to cruisers so we hopped into a dinghy and set off round to the next bay. Unfortunately we hadn’t really thought about tides and when we got there it was low tide which meant we couldn’t get up the estuary where the farm was. We spotted some houses set back from the beach and went over to ask if there was a walking track, one of the women said there was and told her son (who was about 5) to show us. Hmm, not exactly a track, more like a very lightly used but well remembered route through swampy land that was also used as grazing for at least one cow and a horse. About 45 mins later we reached our destination and found the lady who owned the place. Could we buy some produce we asked, looking around and not really seeing anything growing, and we were told that her husband had been very ill and was going blind – the farm had not grown anything for a couple of years. Disappointed we trudged back, when we reached the house of the woman we had asked earlier we explained what we had been told. “Oh yes, they do not grow anything now” was the answer. Thinking back we had merely asked where the farm was, not if it was still a working farm.
It didn’t really matter, we knew we could get some fresh veg at the small store and would only have to wait another few days for the resort to reopen to be able to buy fruit and veg from them. As it happened the next time I went to the store the resort owner was in there and he took my order for fruit and veg to come from his own gardens and the supply boat that was due later that day, he said to come back at 4pm and to come to the resorts main bar for a drink – cool.
At the bar that afternoon he explained that the small bar the cruisers and locals normally used would not be reopening. There had been a few instances of the locals fighting in there and more of the men going home to the village and unleashing on their wives. As westerners we are all exposed to alcohol from an early age and are used to it, islanders much less so and it often reacts badly with them. We have often been told never to give the locals alcohol, especially in remote parts, as they have often never had it before and some get the taste for it pretty quick.
Our daily check on the weather showed that some high winds would be coming through over the next couple of days, from the only direction that we would not be protected by land. We thought about moving but decided not to, both boats trusting their anchors and the fact that we had been there several days already so were well set in. We both let out another 10m of chain and settled in. Michael was onboard LS when the wind suddenly whipped up, about 6 hours earlier than predicted. The lagoon was white capping and our boats started to swing around, he was stuck onboard unless there was a gap. It didn’t let off and now it was 11pm, time for my bed, so I said goodnight and off I went. As I put my head on the pillow it all went quiet outside then about 30 seconds later I heard the scream of a small outboard. Michael had seen the gap and took it, racing the 100m or so back to Patanjali. A good choice as five minutes later it was blowing harder than before, a cruiser is always happier on there own boat and not watching it from another.
The next day the wind had died off completely and things were back to normal. There was another issue though, M was almost out of alcohol which appeared to play a big part in his life (just joking if he’s reading). He did go to the resort and ask if they would sell some boxes of beer, they would but at full resort retail of $10 each, around four times what we pay for a box normally.
That evening I said that we were happy to share ours but weren’t that well stocked as we had been speaking of cutting down our intake, he thanked us but said no and we would leave the next day to head back to the marina.
During his time with us my fishing luck had been not been good, only catching barracuda which we had been giving away to the locals so I couldn’t believe it when only a couple of hours apart (we had gone in opposite directions) I pulled in a yellowfin tuna on each rod. Of course I immediately sent M a pic but neither of us were in cell coverage so he didn’t receive it until a few hours later so was too far away to turn round for dinner.
We anchored at Sawa I Ra at the southern end of Yasawa island and went ashore with our sevusevu, the women at the first house we came to advised that the chief and head man were away but they could receive it and pass it on. We sat with them and chatted, they asked if we had any reading glasses and we said yes and we would bring them over later (we had bought up as many pairs as we could from charity shops in NZ before setting off for this very reason).
Yum, fresh yellowfin sashimi followed by loin roasted on bbq with salad and peppercorn sauce, of course more pics were sent and, of course, more abusive texts were received !
This was a lovely spot and we stayed here for a few days, lots of kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling. I don’t recall going ashore again other than to hand out some pairs of reading glasses so all our exercise was on the water.
Weather checks showed there was some more crap to come so we made the call to head back down the islands. We left the next morning and were only a couple of hours into the trip when conditions got pretty rough, I went out to pull in the fishing lines (it was getting that bad) when one of the lines went. Ten minutes later and there was a nice wahoo hanging out of the 90L chill bin, there was no way I was cutting it up in this !
An hour or so later and we were on the eastern side of the island group so much better protected although there was still a lot of chop. We plodded on for a few more hours until we reached Yalobi bay which we thought would offer us the best protection in the area. It wasn’t too bad for wind but there was quite a swell in there, not too bad for us but it would have been uncomfortable for a mono. They had obviously received a lot of rain over the previous few hours as there were waterfalls cascading down the side of the hills and cliffs.
As usual the next day was sunny, no wind and 32C BUT there was more bad weather predicted, so up came the anchor again (poor windlass) and off we went. No prizes for guessing where we were heading and we were anchored safely at Musket by 3pm that day with another nice wahoo to share with everyone at the Island Bar that evening.
Edited by NNK on Saturday 20th May 23:06
A quick real time update, we are currently on the dock at Royal Suva Yacht Club after finding a leak in starboard motor raw water cooling system.
We were about to leave Beqa heading for Kadavu when I noticed water in the bilge, found a shower sump pump not working so replaced that but wasnt convinced that was the only problem (v salty water).
Ran stb motor and found a pin hole spray from a copper pipe (on 90deg bend), touched pipe and it snapped at flange. I bodged it together with silicone tape, gasket sealant and luck and we motored to Suva.
Parts are stripped out and will take to engineer on Tuesday (monday is holiday !) to get 2 sets made as I suspect the other side could go in a similar way.
These are the only parts of the raw water system I didnt replace before leaving NZ as they were no longer available from Volvo - grrrr.
We were about to leave Beqa heading for Kadavu when I noticed water in the bilge, found a shower sump pump not working so replaced that but wasnt convinced that was the only problem (v salty water).
Ran stb motor and found a pin hole spray from a copper pipe (on 90deg bend), touched pipe and it snapped at flange. I bodged it together with silicone tape, gasket sealant and luck and we motored to Suva.
Parts are stripped out and will take to engineer on Tuesday (monday is holiday !) to get 2 sets made as I suspect the other side could go in a similar way.
These are the only parts of the raw water system I didnt replace before leaving NZ as they were no longer available from Volvo - grrrr.
Found an engineer to make parts, although he didnt want to as is currently so busy, hope to pick them up at 5pm Wednesday.
Subject to that we will be off on Thursday lunchtime
Whilst in Suva I have also stumbled across an incredibly cheap fishing supplies store.
250mm diving type lures, 20FJD ! At Denarau they are 120 !
Picked up some more skirts for squid type lures too, 20FJD for 4
Subject to that we will be off on Thursday lunchtime
Whilst in Suva I have also stumbled across an incredibly cheap fishing supplies store.
250mm diving type lures, 20FJD ! At Denarau they are 120 !
Picked up some more skirts for squid type lures too, 20FJD for 4
Edited by NNK on Tuesday 30th May 18:59
What an absolute #### of a job !
But its done and stb motor has been running for 30 mins with no leaks, correct temp, etc.
About to wander up the road to the wonderful Seamech for the second set and to pay (tears forming in eyes).
Whilst typing, its a tight squeeze on the dock here now as another yacht has greased its sides and slipped in next to us. They checked out of Fiji at Vuda and were heading East (he American) when they discovered diesel in the bilge, a lot of it, and the pump was sending excess out to sea !
Immigaration arrived and took their passports , to be returned when problem cured/fixed.
Apparently there is another sail boat in the harbour that has (allegedly) slipped into Fiji without checking in.
Now I'm not one for gossip but we are quite close to Kadavu here which is the dope growing capital of Fiji.
Not why we are going there obv
But its done and stb motor has been running for 30 mins with no leaks, correct temp, etc.
About to wander up the road to the wonderful Seamech for the second set and to pay (tears forming in eyes).
Whilst typing, its a tight squeeze on the dock here now as another yacht has greased its sides and slipped in next to us. They checked out of Fiji at Vuda and were heading East (he American) when they discovered diesel in the bilge, a lot of it, and the pump was sending excess out to sea !
Immigaration arrived and took their passports , to be returned when problem cured/fixed.
Apparently there is another sail boat in the harbour that has (allegedly) slipped into Fiji without checking in.
Now I'm not one for gossip but we are quite close to Kadavu here which is the dope growing capital of Fiji.
Not why we are going there obv
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